Combined stamp vending and advertising machine



Jan. 5, 1937. lcz. M. WHEELER COMBINED STAMP VENDING AND ADVERTISING MACHINE Filed oct. 12, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 is A7 TORNEK n/ 2 .r 6 2 Rk Y 0 6 .t m M 6 m me-m S N ,v 1 m 2mm m3 4G N l s I m RWM.. EDB a# Emm HA.

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Jan. 5, 1937. c. M. WHEELER COMBINED STAMP VENDING AND ADVERTISING MACHINE Filed oct. 12, 19321 s sheets-sheet s INVENTOR.- f k ele?,

hais ATToRNEx Patented Jan. 5, 1937 PATENT FEQE COMBINED STAMP VENDING AND ADVERTISING MACHINE Clarence M. Wheeler, St. Louis, Mo.

Application October 12,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to Vending and advertising devices and more particularly to a combined advertising and postage stamp vending machine, having for its main object to produce a novel and attractive machine from which postage stamps may be delivered to the patron at face value, automatically, upon the insertion of a designated coin for a given number of the stamps selected.

The invention consists in the novel general arrangement of the mechanism or operating parts of the respective coin-controlled Vending devices and means for displaying advertising matter attractively, whereby, revenue for the operation and maintenance of the machine is obtained.' by

the owner or lessee from the advertiser or advertisers and to the resultant benefit of the latter. The invention further consists in the parts and combinations and arrangements of the parts of the respective mechanisms, and, more particularly, in the special adaptation of said mechanisms for inter-dependent and practical co-operative working combination, together with simplicity and economy in operation and maintenance.

Objects and advantages to be attained, and structural features, other than hereinabove set forth, will hereinafter more fully appear in the lfollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and illustrating a practical embodiment of the invention,-

Figure l is a front elevation of a fanciful cabinet housing the mechanism;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the interior mechanical structure, with the cabinet removed;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the right side of the interior structural assembly as shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevation, looking at the left Aside of the structure, With portions of the side plate removed to show interior structural arrangements;

Figure 6 is a similar View at the right side of 45 the structure, with the greater portion of the near side plate 'broken away to show a practical arrangement of the carrier rolls for the advertising endless-belt strip or film;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary det-ail View to show 50 the preferred manner of joining the respective separable panels or sheets of the advertising endless-belt strip or film;

Figure 8 is a View, on a greatly enlarged or exaggerated sc-ale, showing fragments of the 55 meeting end portions of two panels or sheet elements of the advertising endless-belt strip or iilm detached, together with a fragment of the transverse connecting wire;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevation of the right side plate in the region where the controlling and operating devices for the intermittently operated advertising endless-belt strip or film and the brake device for the strip or film are located; and

Figure l0 is a fragmentary detail View showing, in a more or less conventional manner, means for intermittently brealnng the electrical circuit for the light bulb which illuminates the advertising endless-belt strip or film.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral l designates the cabinet or outer casing of the (machine, which, as shown in the illustrative drawiings, is of substantially square lower body portion, which is mounted on the fancifully designed base portion 2, the front upper portion being sloped, as at 3. In the sloping portion 3 is a Window or display opening 9 for the endless-belt advertising strip or film to be later more fully described, this window opening being obviously provided with a protective pane or panel of glass or other suitable transparent material. At the top of the cabinet l, and located near the rear wall, is an upstanding head-piece i on which is displayed suitable reading matter to indicate that the machine vends postage stamps at face value, the front face of this head-piece being preferably inclined, as shown.

Near the opposite right and left sides of the cabinet, the sloping portion 3 is provided with coin-receiving slots, the one, 5, as shown and indicated, being for practical purposes designated as for the reception of a dime (l0) and the other, 6, for a nickel (5c) ,it being, of course, understood that in either application five stamps will be automatic'ally delivered from the machine, as will later be more fully described. In the lower front Wall portion of the cabinet, in vertical correlation to the respective coin-receiving slots, are dispensing openings 'i and S, respectively.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings7 the stamp vending mechanisms will be described, generally, as to their individual characteristic structures, and, more specifically, as to their co-operative relation to and operation in conjunction with the advertising mechanism.

There are two of the stamp vending mechanisms, one, designated generally by the numeral l0, at the left side of the machine, and the other, designated by the numeral ll, at the right side,

as shown. These mechanisms may be of any approved structure, and sulce it to describe them generally as having provision for supporting as at I2, reels of stamps in continuous strips I3, which may be perforated for easy detachment, or not, as preferred, because an automatically operated knife element I 4 is provided for each vending unit, the strip being fed to the knife through a slot I5 for severance, after which it is delivered to the purchaser through the delivery opening 'l or 8, as the case may be.

The respective vending units I9, I I, are provided with the usual coin-chutes I6, having conventional magnetic deecting elements I7 (see Figure 4) for attracting spurious metallic disks or tokens from operative relation to the vending mechanism. It is deemed unnecessary to enter into details of the vending mechanism other than to recite that the combined machine a..- sembly includes a continuously rotating power shaft I8 extending transversely of the machine and projecting with its opposite ends beyond the two side plates I9, 29, respectively of the supporting framework.

On this shaft I8 are cam elements 2|, which rotate continuously therewith, one of said cam elements intermittently rocking a lever element 22 whose upper end portion is turned angularly to enter an opening in the coin-chute Wall, as at 23 (see Figures 3 and 4), whereby to support the coin when first dropped into the chute and until the proper time for the release of the coin to effect the operation of the stamp-delivering mechanism, which operation is effected by the interposition of the coin into the path of one of the cams of the elements grouped and generally designated by the numeral 2|, and, through a system of levers 24, the knife element I5, which is normally yieldably held in retracted position, by a spring element 25, is operated, that is to say, the knife is swung upwardly on its pivot 26 by the action of the cam and lever mechanism, the stamp strip is fed the given distance, and, after the cam has mo-ved beyond its effective position, the spring element 25 retracts the knife with a snap-action and the purchased portion of the stamp strip is thereby severed and delivered through the delivery opening 'l or 8, as the case may be, and as hereinbefore set forth. It is understood that the mechanism just described is duplicated on opposite sides of the machine in correlation to the respective vending units I0 and Fixed on the shaft I8, to rotate therewith between the left side plate I 9 and the adjacent vending unit I9, is a relatively large gear Wheel of the sprocket type, 21, which is belted to a relatively small wheel 28 on a transverse motor-driven counter-shaft 29, by a sprocket-chain 38. The motor is preferably of an approved electrical type, indicated conventionally, as at 3| (see Figures 5 and 6), and the counter-shaft 29 is projected from a reduction gear housing 32, also shown conventionally in the drawings and obviously containing an approved system of gearing whereby the counter-shaft 29 receives its power from the main shaft of the motor 3|, at a reduced speed.

Preferably, the motor 3| is controlled through a suitable rheostat 33, having a dial 34, and an adjusting knob 35. One of the motor circuit wires 36, from the plugging-in socket 31 (see Figure 4) passes through this rheostat in the regular manner and, therefore, no further detailed illustration or description is deemed necessary to a full understanding of the utility of the arrangement.

The advertising endless-belt strip or lm, designated, generally, by the numeral 38, by dot-anddash lines in Figures 5 and 6, and in full lines in Figures 3, 7 and 8, in which three latter gures of the drawings, the details of the particular preferred manner of detachably connecting the meeting end portions of the separate panel or sheet members 39 is illustrated. This strip or film may be made of any suitable transparent or translucent material. An ideal material is ordinary tracing cloth on which drawings are lined for purposes of reproduction by direct contact blue or other photo-printing processes. However, continuous strips or joined individual panels or sheets of material may be made of flexible celluloid or like characteristic substance.

As shown, the meeting marginal portions of the respective panels or sheets 39 are cut away, as at 49, to produce tongues 4 I, those at one end of the panel or sheet being staggered with relation to those at the opposite end. The tongue portions 4I are looped, as at 42, and stitched or cemented at their ends to the base portions of the tongues or to the body of the sheet. In assembling the several panels or sheets 39 the looped tongue portions are inserted in the openings of the meeting ends of the adjoining panel or sheet, and a wire element 43 is threaded through the alined loops, thereby detachably securing the panels or sheets 39 together with a hinge-like joint, by which provision, not only is the requisite exibility of the assembled strip maintained but the several panels or sheets are detachable and interchangeable.

Advertising matter is printed, painted or otherwise produced on the respective sheets or panels 39, and to illuminate the displayed advertisement a light bulb 44 (see Figure 5) is placed conveniently beneath the strip 38, within the supporting frame-work, and in the region of the window opening 9 of the cabinet or outer casing I. This light bulb may be uninterruptedly lighted, but, preferably, its electrical circuit is broken at intervals to cause a flashing of the light to attract attention. This is accomplished in any approved manner, but, for purposes of illustration, a circuit breaker 45 is provided, as shown conventionally in Figures l and l0 of the drawings. As shown, the device comprises a stationary terminal plate 46 and a co-operating spring tongue terminal element 41 set to be normally spaced and ation 59 of said wire 49 leads from the spring tongue element 4l to the lamp bulb in an obvious manner. The other circuit wire 5| for the lamp leads directly from the plugging-in socket 31 to the lamp.

Arranged in cooperative relation to the spring tongue terminal element 4'! is a lever arm 52 having a cam projection 53 thereon which is slidably engaged by the peripheral portion of a disk 54, said peripheral portion, for the major part thereof, causing the lever arm 52 to be depressed, thereby pressing the spring tongue element 4l into electrical contact with the stationary plate 46. However, when a notch 55 in the disk reaches the cam portion 53 of the lever arm 52, said arm is urged upwardly on its pivot by the spring tongue element 4'! and electrical contact between the tongue element and stationary plate 46 is broken, as shown in Figure 10, the break being, of course, only momentary and causing the light to blink.

The circuit breaker controlling disk 54 may be rotated by any suitable means, but, as shown, it 75 rotates with a gear wheel 59 which meshes with a 'gear 51, which latter is in turn meshed with a 'pinion 58 on the constantly rotating power shaft i9 and being located at the outer side of the right plate 29 of the frame-work structure (see Figure 9). The gear 56 is conveniently mounted on a stud or stub-shaft 59 and the gear 5l on a similar supporting shaft B9, each protruding from the side plate 20.

The advertising endless-belt strip or film is carried about a multiplicity of rollers, two of which, as shown, namely ii! and 92, carrying the strip or film parallel with the inclined upper forward portion of the machine (see Figures 5 and 6). At the rear of the roller 92 is a roller 63. Rearward of and in a plane slightly below the roller 9|, is a roller 99, over which the strip or film is f carried substantially horizontally. Forward of and below the roller til is a roller 95, over which the strip or film passes from a roller 9E of relatively large diameter. This roller 36 preferably has a peripheral portion 91 of hard rubber and it is relatively smooth surfaced. Rearward of and closely adjacent to the roller 99 is a relatively small roller 98 which may be truly cylindrical throughout, but, in practice, is preferably concaved slightly from end to end, whereby to have a tendency to keep the strip or film centralized and thereby insure the true tracking of the strip or film in its travel.

'Ihe several other rollers are arranged to carry the strip or film in `looped and re-,looped forma-- tion in order to have an extent of display surface compactly stored within the confines of the cabinet or outer casing.

Above the relatively small roller 99 is a roller 99, and above the latter is a group of three rollers lll, 'H and l2. Just below the rollers 52 and 63 are a horizontal series of closely arranged rollers '13, 14, 'F5 and i9, as shown more clearly in Figure 6, while in the lower part of the framework, there are three closely arranged rollers il, T8 and 19, and a slightly remote roller 99. A final roller 9i is removably mounted by having its axial end bearing extensions 92 received in bayonet-slots 83 provided therefor in the lower, rear marginal portions of the side plates i9, 29, of the frame-work (see Figure G) Preferably, the upper roller 'l5 has its end bearing extensions 84 located in vertical slots 85 in the side plates i9, 29, whereby the roller is guided vertically, said roller being yieldably sus pended by tension springs 99 which are secured at their lower ends to clips S'E in which the end lbearing extensions of the roller are journalled,`

the upper ends of the springs 99 being attached to supporting studs 99. The springs 89 normally tend to pull the roller upwardly in the slots 95 and in so doing create a tension on the looped strip or film, thereby keeping the latter taut on its rollers and also keeping the roller 9i with its end bearing extensions 82 seated in the vertical portions of the bayonet-slots 33. The yieldability of the roller 19, through the provision of the springs 99, as aforesaid, also facilitates the removal of the roller 9|, at will, to make adjustments of the strip or film 39 and for the interchange of the panels or sheets 39.

Normally, the relatively large roller G5 which rotates constantly with the power shaft i9 on which it is fixed, slips circumferentially with respect to the strip or film 39 and while the strip or film is at its period of rest, during which time a brake element 89, comprising a transverse bar, is pressing the adjacent portion of the strip or film 38 on a transverse table or shelf 9U (see Figures 3, 5, 6 and 9), said table or shelf underlying the horizontal portion of the strip or film 38 which rides freely thereover when the brake is released and the strip or film is being caused to travel a given distance to expose the next succeeding advertisement, or, in other words, the strip is intermittently moved step by step, the

distance equal to the length of one individual panel or sheet member 39 and with relation to the window or display opening 9 of the cabinet or casing i.

The brake element 89 has a right angular downward extension 9|, which is conveniently guided in any suitable manner, but, for purposes of conventional illustration, its lower end portion is slidably tted in a bracket or clip member 99 (see Figure 9), and it is normally urged downwardly by a tension spring 93,. the horizontal body portion proper 99 of the brake element being located in rectangular slots 94 provided therefor in the side plates i9, 29, of the framework.

To effect the timed release of the brake element from contact with the strip or film 38, the downward vertical extension 9i is preferably provided with a lateral stud 95 which is engaged by an arm of a lever member 96, said member having an upward end extension 9'! which is slidably engaged by a rotating cam disk 98 rotatable with the gear 5l, hereinbefore described in connection with the operation of the circuit breaker for the lamp bulb lill. The ratio of the gear 5l and the pinion 58 is proportioned so that, during approximately one-half revolution of the disk 99, the brake is applied and during the other half revolution the brake is released. The high or cam portionbf the disk 93 is shown in Figure 9 of the drawings as just engaging the lever arm extension 97 and the brake is released as shown in Figures 3, 5, 6 and 9.

As shown in Figure 9, the portion of the cam disk 93 which engages another lever member 99 to effect the feeding or travel of the strip or film 39, is just about to engage said lever member, it being well to here note that the portion of the cam which co-operates with said second mentioned lever member 99 is a little shorter circumferentially than the portion thereof which cooperates with the lever member 99 first mentioned.

'Ihe lever member 99, at its forward end portion, engages a stud 99a which is projected through an arcuate slot E99 in the side plate 29, said stud being carried by a yoke-like frame IDI, hingedly supported by trunnions 92 at each end, said trunnions being journalled in apertures provided therefor in the opposite side plates I9, Z9. This yoke-like frame lll! has a presser-roller ID3 journalled therein, said roller having a spongerubber peripheral portion 94 to contact with the large roller 69 hereinbefore described.

When the lever member 99 is actuated by the cam disk 99 to lift the stud 99a, the yoke-like frame 19E is correspondingly lifted on its trunnions |92, and the soft surfaced, cellular material roller E93 is pressed tightly upon the portion of the strip or film 39 which is about the roller 95, and as the brake element 89 is at this time released from that portion of the strip or film lying over the table or shelf 90, the strip or film is consequently advanced one step to expose the next succeeding panel or sheet member 39 under the window opening 9. As soon as the movement of the strip or film is accomplished, the presserroller |03 is permitted to drop: from engagement with the strip or iilm in the region of the roller 66 and the brake element is dropped by gravity and further urged downwardly by its spring element 93. Thus the operation of the strip or lm 38 goes on intermittently, with the illuminating lamp intermittently blinking, and the stamp vending mechanism is partly operating continuously, but the stamp-delivering portion of the mechanism is only operated upon the insertion of the proper coin by the purchaser in the manner as hereinbefore described.

A machine as set forth herein in accordance with the present invention is operated and maintained economically, with a profit out of the revenue derived from the legitimate charge to the advertiser or advertisers utilizing the spaces provided by the respective panels or sheets 39 of the endless-belt strip or iilm 38, whereby postage stamps can be sold at face value, as an accommodation for patrons of stores or at stations in public places, whereas, by the use of an ordinary stamp vending machine, operated With no other source of revenue, the stamps are necessarily vended at a substantial premium to cover cost, at least, of manufacture and maintenance of the machine.

Obviously, the machine may be modied in details of structure and general arrangement, in many respects, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as deiined by the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement shown in the accompanying illustrative drawings.

What is claimed is:

l. A machine of the character described, comprising a cabinet having a display window, an endless-belt strip on which advertising matter is placed in sequential panel arrangement and movable in registrable relation to said display window, a common power element operating continuously, means for intermittently connecting said power element with said advertising endlessbelt strip whereby to successively bring the respective pane-ls thereof into register with the display window of the cabinet, said means comprising a smooth surfaced roller about which said endless-belt strip passes and the roller normally rotating as a part of the power element and slipping with respect to the strip, and a presser roller movable intermittently to press said endless-belt strip upon said rotating roller whereby to cause intermittent travel of said strip, said presser roller having a sponge rubber circumferential portion.

2. In a machine of the character described, an endless-belt advertising strip, a series of supporting rolls about which said strip travels in windingly looped arrangement, resilient means for holding said strip in tautened condition, a continuously rotating feeder-roll having a relatively hard and smooth peripheral surface, and about which said strip travels, brake means including a supporting table-like element over which the strip travels and a brake-bar extending transversely of the strip, thereabove, and in cooperative relation to said table-like supporting element, automatically operating spring tensioned means for normally holding said brakebar in clamping relation to that portion of said strip which is upon said table-like supporting element, means for periodically raising said brake-bar from such clamping relation, and means for effecting the travel of said strip While said brake-bar is so released, said last named means including a swingably supported yokelike element, a presser-roll rotatably mounted in said yoke-like element, said presser-roll having a circumferential portion of material of the character of sponge-rubber, and means, operable after the release of said brake-bar and before said brake-bar is again applied in braking relation to the strip, whereby to actuate said yoke-like element to press said presser-roll in contact with that portion of said strip Which is about said feeder-roll, said strip being thereby moved intermittently to successively display sequentially arranged advertising matter provided thereon.

3. A machine of the character described cornprising a cabinet having a display window, an endless-belt strip on which advertising matter is placed in sequential panel arrangement, and movable in registrable relation to said display window, brake means including a supporting table-like element over which the strip travels and a brake-bar extending transversely of the strip, thereabove, and in co-operative relation to said table-like supporting element, and automatically operating spring tension means for normally holding said brake-bar in clamping relation to that portion of said strip which is upon said table-like supporting element, means for periodically raising the brake-bar from clamping relation, and a power element operating continuously, means for intermittently connecting said power element with said advertising endless-belt strip whereby to successively bring the respective panels thereof into register with the display Window, the said power means comprising a smooth surfaced roller about which said endless-belt strip passes and the roller normally rotating as a part of the element and a presser roller movable intermittently to press said endless-belt strip upon said rotating roller whereby to cause intermittent travel of said strip at the times that the brake-bar is raised from clamping relation to that portion of said strip which is upon said table-like supporting element.

CLARENCE M. WHEELER. 

